Process of making metallic fabric.



E. FULDA.

PROCESS OF MAKING METALLIC FABRIC.

APPLICATION r1151) MAY 4, 1911.

1,174,137. 1 Patented Mar. 7,1916.

WITNESSES INVENTOR i ATTORNEY EDWARD runner; on New YORK, N. Y.

PROCESS OF MAKING METALLIC FABRIC.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

' Application filed m 4, 1911. Serial No. 624,929.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD FULDA, a c1t1- zen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processesof Making Metallic Fabric, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a process of making metal fabric, for, fences and other uses, comprisingintersecting -members whose joints are provided with binders.

()ne of the importantobjects of the present invention is to provide a process by which such fabric may be economically produced.

This and other objects which will hereinafter appear are secured by the process hereinafter set forth. In describing my process I have illustrated certain apparatus.

for carrying out the same. 7

In the drawings :Figure 1- is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of parts of a very desirable form of machine which may be employed in the production of the-present fabric by the process forming the present invention, the illustrated portions of the machine being those which form a joint of the fabric and the parts bemg shown in the position they occupy preliminary to the formation of said joint. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same parts of the machine, showing them in'the positions they occupy when the joint has been formed.

Fig. 3 is a view on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view on the plane of the line 4--4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view of a section of fabric formed by my improved process. Fig. 6 is a detail view of a joint of said fabric, the binder being shown in section. Fig. 7 is adetail view of a joint embodying a binder of a slightly different form from that shown in the preceding figure. Fig. 8 is a view of'a modified construction of machine tobe used for'forcing an offset in either or both of the intersecting members. Fig. 9 is'a view of a machine constructed to use the metal forming the bond in'the form of a ribbon.

Similar characters of reference denote cor- .res onding parts in the several views.

he fabic produced by the present invention comprises intersecting members A and 18 whose joints are bound together by castings which are molded around the same and form binders C which tightly embrace the 'section of said members.

fabric-members A and Bat and adjacent to the places of intersection of the latter. Each binder C is integral throughout and preferably is molded under pressure. Each not only tightly embraces the members A and B at a joint but is formed to provide asolid body (indicated at cm Fig. 6) between the Wires, at, and adjacent to the place of inter- These binders serve to hold the members A and B securely together at the places of intersection, give a finished appearance to the joints and enable the joints to withstand usage'and the destructive effects ofthe atmosphere for a maximum length of time.

- The form, size, number and location of the members A and B may be varied to suit the particular use to which the fabric is to be put and the taste of the constructor or The binders also may be of various sizes and shapes to accord with varying conditions. In Fig. 6 a binder approximately of ball-shape is shown, this being a very desirable form thereof, while in Fig. 7 a'binder' (marked C having its peripheral surface formed with bevels 0 is illustrated. These bevels or cut-away portions of the binder lighten its weight and save metal, without materially reducing the effectiveness of the binder, as the area of the effective holding introduced into said mold in a molten or plastic condition, or is reduced to such condition after it has reached themold. This charge of metal is then molded or cast directly upon said member at! and adjacent to their'places of intersection and forms the binder hereinbefore referred to. The molding or casting is preferably completed while the metal is in a molten or plastic conditihn and before it becomes cool and sets some of the important parts of a machine A suitable quantity of an approved metal is loo , bers and awhich is well adapted to carry the process into practical effect are illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, wherein. designates a bed adapted to support the wires,'rods or other members which are to form the-body of the fabric. The position of thefabric-members on. the bed are defined by upstanding lugs 21 which are spaced apart at 21", in position corresponding to the positions of said fabric members and are arranged adjacent to the places of intersection of the latter." The bed 20 also has'an opening, 22, adjacent to the intersecting portion of said fabric memplunger '23 is mounted to move 'reciprocatorily within said opening. This plunger has its end formed with a recess 24 for a purpose hereinafter stated.

25 designates a reciprocatory clamping member having fingers 26 suit-ably disposed thereon to engage the fabric-members A and B and 'hold the same during the casting operation. Within this clamping member .1s disposed a; second plunger, 27, which reciprocates relatively thereto directly opposite to the plunger 23 and is provided with a cavity 28. Suitable provision, as a channel 29 in one of the upstanding lugs 21,

for example, is made .for feeding molten,

.' lugs 21 and on the .bottomfand top by'the plungers 23 and, 27, rs'pectively'.- Said plungers being retracted to the positions shown in Fig. 1, a charge'of molten metal drawn froma suitable source of supply'is then introduced through the channel 29.

' At asuitable time with reference to the supplyof molten metal, the clamping member 25 is actuated to cause its fingers 26 to enterthe space between the lugs 21 respectively and to engage and hold the fabric members adjacent to the place of their intersection. Then the plungers 23 and 27 are moved toward each other so as to subject the charge of molten metal' to a pressure which molds it around the intersecting portions of the fabric-members, thereby completing'the joint. 7

It will be understood of course that the machine employed in practice preferably contains means for securing the delivery of a predetermined quantity of metal form- 1 ing each charge and for actuating the clamping means and plungers,

all at proper relative times: and it will also be understood thatgthe recesses 24 and 28 and the inner walls 30 of the lugs 21, all of which are presented to the molding space, give shape to the binder and are of form corresponding to that selected for the binder.

binder of a different shape from either of the foregoing. The quantity of metal delivered to the molding chamber at each charge is that determined upon for a binder, suitable provision being made for. cutting off the supply when such quantity has been delivered.

This may be accomplished by so timing the movement of the plunger 27 that it will cover the channel 29 when a sufficient charge has been delivered, or other provision for the cut-oif of the supply may be made. i t

The mechanism may be organized to make only one or a plurality of finishedjoints at a time, and may include provision for the dropping of the table 20 at the completion of a joint-forming operation, so as to free the fabric from the upstanding lugs 21 which, it will be noted, are received by the spaces between the joints, the fabric being maintained against movement with the,

table during the .dropping movement of the latter; or the fabric may be freed from the lugs by raising it above the latter, either manually .or automatically, if I preferred. When thus fre d, the fabric may be'fed to bring. other portions of its members into operative relation with the joint-forming means. These operations are continued until a fabric of the 'desired length has been formed.

In lieu of feeding the metal which forms the binder into the molding space in a molten or plastic condition,provision maybe made for feeding themetal into saidspace in the form of a ribbon or tape, and the ma chine is so constructed that a predetermined amount of tap'e may be cut off and the cut off po'rtion heated to a lastic or melted conditionin said space.

27 is provided witha cutting edge 40 which severs the end of the tape as the plunger is fed forward. The means provided for heating the cut-off part of the tape as illustrated, is an electric current, although other means may be used. One terminal for this cur.- rent is marked w and the other y. The wires forming the circuit are so arranged that the circuit is made just as the plunger 27 cuts off the end of the tape, and it may be broken just as the plunger completes ts forward stroke. This may be done in any suitable uch a construction I have shown in Fig. 9, in which D is the rib- \bon or tape which is fed through the open ing 29 into the molding space. The plunger manner. While the current is on that portion of the metal cut ofi the end ofthe tape can be brought to a sufficient heat to cause the dies or plunger-s to form the binder.

In 'someicasesitmay be desirable to-offset the members forming the fabric at the point of intersection for the purpose of better locking-the parts'together; In Fig. 8 I have shown the machine modified to perform this'function. In this construction the plunger 27. is pressed downward and its elongated edge comes in contact with the cross wire B. Upon further pressure, the

1 wire B causes the wire A to be pressed downward and upon further pressure the wire B on either side of the intersecting point will be pressed downwardto a distance substantially equal to the thickness of thewire A thereby forming an offset in either one or both of said wires A and B according to the distancethat the'plunger 27-travels.

Ha"ing now described the invention what I believe to be new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: v

1. The herein described method of producing metal fabrics for fences and other purposes, which consists in assembling members thereof in an intersecting relation with their intersecting portions in a moldingspace having movable walls, delivering a charge of metal to said space and while said charge is in a molten or plastic condition moving said walls to subject the charge to pressure to form around the intersecting portions of said members a binder which closely embraces said members at and adjacent to said intersecting portions and fills the space between them, at the joint.

2. The herein described method of producing metal fabrics for fences and other purposes, which consists in assembling members thereof in an intersecting relation With their intersecting portions in a molding space, delivering a predetermined quantity of molten or plastic metal to said space and then subjecting this charge of metal to pressure to form a binder which closely embraces said members at and adjacent to said intersecting portions and fills the space between them, at the joint. a 4. The herein described method of producing metal fabrics for fences and other purposes, which consists in assembling members thereof in an intersecting relation with their intersecting portions -in a molding space, delivering a predetermined quantity of metal to said space, reducingthis metal to molten or plastic condition by subjecting it to the action of a current of electricity,

and then' pressing it to for-m a binder which closely embraces said members at and adjacent to said intersecting portions and fills the space between them, at thejoint.

5. The herein described method of producing metal fabrics for fences and other purposes, which consists in assembling members thereof in an intersecting'relation with their intersecting portions in a molding space, feeding relatively to said'space a strip of metal in tape-like form, severing therefrom, in the molding space, a quantity thereof adapted to form a charge, reducing this charge to molten or plastic condition and while it is in such condition subjecting it to pressure adapted to form a binder which closely embraces said memberat and adjacent to' said intersecting portions and filling the space between them, at the joint.

6. The herein described method of producing metal fabrics forfences and other I purposes, which consists in assembling the 7 members thereof in an intersecting relation, clampingly holding the members in such relation, supplying to the intersecting mem= bers a-charge of metal'which is in a molten or plastic condition, and then molding or casting by pressurethe said metal before it sets or hardens. f i

7. The herein described method ofpro ducing metal fabric for fences and other purposes, which consists in assembling the members thereof in an intersecting relation with theirintersecting parts in a molding space, delivering av charge. of metal to said space, and molding orcasting said charge around the intersecting parts of said mem- 1 beers, and simultaneously forming anoifset on one or either of said members at the place of intersection. i

In witness whereof my hand at the city, county and State of New York, this'fifth' day of April, 1911.

. EDlVARD FULDA. In presence of ISABEL R. RICHARDS, JOHN J. RANAGAN.

I have hereunto set V 

